At the national level, the establishment of a national organization for organ and tissue donation and transplantation is a necessity to ensure self-sufficiency by implementing and supervising the deceased organ donation system. Its major role is to promote a unified organ procurement procedure common to all medical institutions. In this regard, NOD-lb aims at establishing an official organ donation and transplantation registry, developing a central national laboratory for organ and tissue donation and transplantation, raising public awareness on the importance of organ donation.
NOD-Lb is a governmental organization working under the umbrella of the Minister of Health (MOH). It was created by a ministerial decree in 1999 (decree 509/1). The Lebanese Code of Medical Ethics (2012, Code 240, art 30) designated NOD-Lb as the only official body responsible of supervising all organs, tissues and cells donation and transplantation activities in Lebanon.
NOD-Lb supervises the application of the Lebanese donation and transplantation system for organs, tissues and human cells in the Lebanese hospitals. NOD-Lb is responsible to develop continuous education for health professionals and to promote organ and tissue donation to the general public.
NOD-Lb makes sure that every patient receives the treatment he/she needs, provided that safety, medical ethics and equity are respected. Being the authority of reference it has to maintain a high degree of expertise in all subjects related to organ donation and transplantation.
Main Objective
NOD-Lb aims at increasing the organ donation rate to 20 donors / Million Inhabitants by 2020 and establishing a national organ donation laboratory and hopefully reaches self-sufficiency.
Mission and Vision
NOD-Lb’s vision is to save and enhance the lives of as many people as possible in Lebanon through organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
With this vision in mind, its mission consists of increasing the organ and tissue donation rate to reach self-suciency through implementing a Lebanese model for organ and tissue donation and transplantation. To achieve its mission NOD-Lb has to:
- Maintain the national waiting list and the national registry of donation and transplantation.
- Update the registry of potential donors. (donation card)
- Supervise and coordinate all organs and tissues procurement and allocation in Lebanon.
- Guarantee that in the allocation of organs and tissues, the respect of safety, ethics and equity is respected.
- Supervise all public campaigns on organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
- Supervise and control all organ and tissue transplantation from living and deceased donors.
- Educate health professionals and teachers from the various medical and nursing universities.
- Encourage and guide teachers of complementary and secondary schools to introduce this subject in their program.
- Elaborate protocols to guide all donations and transplants procedures.
- Supervise the education of the religious personnel at all levels and in all denominations.
- Audit and evaluate the medical activities on organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
- Organize medical congresses.
- Plan researches and surveys.